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A New Season

'A New Season' is distinguished by Brian Porto's contention that Title IX can work as a lever to pry the world of college sports into a position more sane than the one it now occupies. His case rests on the willingness of those who run the expensive football and men's basketball programs to opt not only for economic responsibility but for common sense, which is a stretch, but if enough programs begin to lose even more money than they're presently losing, it could happen. Porto's reasoning is that rather than bankrupt their departments by trying to provide female athletes with the same extravagant perks the football players get, athletic directors and college presidents will eventually decide to pursue the goal of equal opportunity by downgrading the ruinously expensive, allegedly "revenue" sports.

'A New Season' presents plenty of evidence that the universities dedicated to achieving celebrity through sports are rife with hypocrisy, criminal behavior, and corruption. Most folks familiar with college sports will have encountered many of the situations Porto describes, and folks arguing against the status quo will appreciate having so many of them collected in one place. But what distinguishes the book is Porto's conviction that judicious use of Title IX can change the situation. He also seems to be sure that most of the alumni will go along with de-emphasis of football and men's basketball, though that assertion flies in the face of the assumptions that drive most athletic departments and college presidents.

This program aired on November 1, 2003. The audio for this program is not available.

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